Piano-action.



0. 0 m 5., 2 n. e D d e t n e t a P. v.. .L A E H J. J.

PIANO AGTIDN.

(Application med Aug. 2B, 1900.)

2 Sheets-Sheet I.

(No Modal.)

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www @M @WQ/LNI@ no. 604,407. Patented nee. 25, |900. J. .1. HEALY.

'PIANO ACTIUN.

(Application ltd Aug. 28, 1909.)

2 Shoots-*Sheet 2.

(Ilo llndal.)

TML-mams mins UNITED STATES JOI-IN J. HEALY,

OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO CHARLES E. VAN LAER, OF SAME PLACE.

PIANO-ACTION.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 664,407', dated December 25, 1900.

Application filed August 28, 1900. Serial No. 28,348. (No model.)

Be it known that I, JOHN J. HEALY, of

Rochester, in the county 0f Monroe and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Piano-Actions and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, formingapart of this speciication, and

to to the reference characters marked thereon.

My present invention relates particularly to improvements in piano-actions for upright pianos, and has for its object to provide a repeating device whereby a performer is enabled to cause the rapid repetition of notes withoutrequiringan undue movementof the keys and whereby also any necessary adjustments may be accomplished without dismantling the action or requiring the use of zo special tools for the purpose; and it consists in certain improvements in construction and combinations of the parts, all of which will be hereinafter described, and the novel features pointed out particularly in the claims at the end of the specification.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation of a piano-action embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a similar View showing the hammer arrested by the repeating-rocker;

3o Fig. 3, a similar view with the jack engaged with the hammer to cause a second stroke. Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view through the operating parts.

. Similar reference characters in the several figures indicate similar parts.

1 indicates the usual key, engaging at its rear end with the lifter 2, pivoted to a guidelink 3, mounted in a bracket 4 on the rail 5, said link having at its upper end an arm 6 ,4o engaging with the damper-lever 7, pivoted to a bracket on the rail 8 and having at its upper end the ordinary damper-pad 9 for engaging the string A, and 10 indicates a spring mounted on the rail S and connected to the lower end of the damper-lever, all these parts being of the usual or any preferred construction.

11 indicates the usual hammer, pivoted at 12 to a bracket on the rail 8 and provided 5o with the usual knuckle 13 and check-arm 14,

the latter adapted to cooperate with the back check 15, secured to the rear end of the rocker 16. The rocker 16 is pivoted at 17 to a bracket on the rail 8 and is provided With a verticallyextending recess or aperture, through which passes the lifter2, being pivoted at 18 to the rocker, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4.

19 indicates the jack, pivoted at 2O to the lifter 2, or preferably to a suitable bracket thereon, and provided near its lower end with 6o a jack-regulating screw 21, extending loosely through an aperture formed in the lifter and having the pad 22 at its inner end adapted t0 engage with the lower end of the tripper-arm 23, secured to the rear end of the rocker. The upper end of the jack projects through the aperture in the rocker and rests against the felt or cushion 24 therein, being held normally against said pad by the spring 25, secured to the bracket on the lifter that sup- 7o ports the jack, and also engaging an eye 45, formed on the jack, as shown, said spring serving to hold the upper end 0f the jack rearward underneath the knuckle when the lifter is in lowered position, as shown in Fig. 4.

To the upper end of the lifter 2 and above the rocker 16 is pivoted the repeating-rocker 35, having an aperture or bifurcations at its forward portion for the passage of the jack 19 and provided with a repeating-rocker 8o spring 26, preferably composed of a piece of wire coiled around the pin 27, and having its lower end engaging the rocker 16 and its upper end engaged by an adjusting-screw 28, by means of which the tension of the spring may be regulated. The bifurcated portion of the rocker is wider than the jack and practically as wide as the knuckle, so as to engage the f latter on both sides of the jack with sufficient friction to prevent its falling to the position 9o shown in Fig. 1 when the lifter is elevated. The lower end of the repeating-rocker 35 is preferably provided with a felt or pad 29, engaging the rear side of the upper end of the lifter, as shown in Fig. 4. The tendency of the spring 26 is to hold the forward portion ofA the repeatingrocker 35 in engagement with the lower side of the hammer-knuckle when the lifter is in elevated position.

The general operation of the device will loo now be understood, the parts being shown in normal position in Figs. 1 and 4. When the key is operated for the production of an ordinary stroke, the lifter will be raised and the jack engaging the knuckle will throw the hammer rearward against the string and the back check will engage the latter, preventing its rebound in the usual manner. As soon as the hammer has been arrested by the back check, the parts being then in the position shown in Fig. 2, if the rear end of the key is allowed to fall slightly to the position shown Fig. 3 the hammer will still be maintained by the engagement of the repeating-rocker with the knuckle, the spring 2G holding` the rocker with sufficient friction against the knuckle until the jack (which is released from engagement with the tripper by the falling of the lifter) can again pass under the knuckle, as shown in Fig. 3, in position to cause a repeated stroke by again operating the key. The amount of friction exerted between the repeating-rockerand the knuckle can be regulated by the adjustment of the screw 2S and the point of release of the jack can be varied by the adjustment of the jack-regulating screw 2l, both these screws, it will be noted, being accessible when the front of the casing of the instrument is removed.

The repeating device as a whole is very simple and efficient and embodies only the repeating-rocker and the parts attached to it, which are inexpensive and easily applied and do not require a special construction of knuckle, but cooperate with practically the same position that the jack operates upon, and it is found in practice that the action described is Well adapted for upright pianos, which latter are not usually provided with the repeating action.

If for any reason it is desired to dispense with the repeating-rocker, it may be readily removed by disengaging its pivot-pin 36.

I claim as my invention l. In a piano-action the combination with the lifter, the jack carried thereby, the rocker having the jack-tripper thereon and the hammer having the knuckle with which the jack cooperates, of the adjustable stop mounted on the jack and cooperating with the tripper.

2. In a piano-action the combination with the lifter, the jack pivoted on the rear side thereof, the jack-spring, the adjustable stop `mounted on the jack, and having the operating end extending forward of the lifter, of the rocker pivoted to a stationary support and to the lifter, and having the tripper-arm and the back check thereon, and the hammer provided with the knuckle and the checkarm.

3. In a piano-action the combination with the lifter, the jack pivoted to the rear side thereof, the adjustable screw extending loosely through the lifter and having the pad at its rear end, of the pivoted rocker having the aperture for the passage of the jack and to which the lifter is pivoted,the tripper-arm and back check on the rocker, the hammer having the knuckle and the check-arm thereon.

It. In a piano-action, the combination with the hammer having the knuckle, of the lifter7 the jack thereon, the rocker pivoted to a stationary support, and also pivoted to the lifter, and a repeating-rocker pivoted on the lifter and yieldingly engaging the knuckle.

5. In an upright piano-action, the combination with the hammer having the knuckle, the vertically-movable lifter, the jack thereon engaging the ham mer-kn uckle,and the rocker pivoted to a stationary support and to the lifter, of the repeating-rocker pivoted to the lifter independently of the main rocker and having the portion engaging the hammerknuckle at the side of the portion engaged by the jack and spring devices for holding said repeating-rocker in yielding` engagement with the knuckle.

l. In a piano-action, the combination with the hammer having the knuckle and check, and the vertically-movable lifter and the jack thereon, of the pivoted rocker, having the jack-tripper and the back check, said rocker being pivoted to the lifter, the repeatingrocker pivoted to the lifter and adapted t0 engage the hammer-knuckle, and the spring between the main rocker and the repeatingrocker.

7. In an upright piano-action, the combination with the hammer having the knuckle, of the lifter, the jack pivoted thereon engaging the knuckle, the rocker pivoted to a stationary support and to the lifter, the repeating-rocker pivoted on the lifter independently of the main rocker having the aperture for the passage of the jack and adapted to engage the knuckle on opposite sides of the latter and a spring for operating the repeating-rocker on its pivot.

8. In a piano-action, the combination with the hammer having the knuckle and the check of the rocker pivoted to a stationary support and having the back check, the vertically-moval'ile lifter pivoted to the rocker and extending above it, the jack pivoted to the lifter, extendingiabove the rocker and engaging the knuckle, the repeating-rocker pivoted to the lifter above the main rocker and engaging the sides of the knuckle and the spring between the two rockers for raising the repeating-rocker- 9. In a piano-action, the combination with the hammer having the knuckle and check, the perforated rocker pivoted at one end to a stationary support having the back check and the tripper thereon, the vertically-movable lifter pivoted to and extending above the rocker, the jack pivoted to the rear side of the lifter, extending through the perforation therein and engaging the knuckle, the repeating-rocker pivoted to the lifter above the main rocker having the aperture for the passage of the jack and adapted to engage the knuckle, and the adjustable spring engaging the two rockers.

JOI-IN J. I-IEALY.

Witnesses:

C. E. VAN LAER, Gf. WILLARD Riot-i.

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